HOKKAIDO RAMEN SANTOUKA OPENS FIRST FREESTANDING U.S. RESTAURANT

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, the internationally acclaimed Japanese noodle restaurant known around the world for its Shio Ramen, is opening its first freestanding restaurant in the United States.

The Bellevue store will be one of 10 restaurants in the States; the others are part of the Mitsuwa Marketplace grocery store chain. The new restaurant is slated to open April 24, 2014, in Bellevue. Santouka’s Bellevue location joins its expansive list of 53 existing restaurants in 10 countries around the world.

“This expansion is significant for us because it is not only our first brick and mortar restaurant in the United States, it’s also in a market that is experiencing a high demand for ramen,” said founder Hitoshi Hatanaka. “We are excited to be a part of the growth of ramen in Seattle.”

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka began in 1988 as a nine-seat, family-run ramen shop in Asahikawa, in the center of Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido. While that region is known for its Shoyu (soy sauce flavor) ramen, Santouka’s signature Shio Ramen became a big hit.

The Bellevue Santouka restaurant will share all of the features that have brought the chain international acclaim, including its signature dishes, such as the Shio Ramen. The dish, known for its bright red pickled plum (umeboshi)— a unique ingredient that brings an artful composition, satisfying crunch and pleasantly tangy taste to the dish.

Unlike other ramens, Santouka ramen is pearl-colored and served at the perfect temperature, (hot, but not too hot) to complement the many flavors, some of which have been cooking for nearly 20 hours.

About Santouka Santouka, which launched as a nine-seat, family-run ramen shop, has today grown to one of the most sought-after ramen restaurants in the world, available in 10 countries including the U.S., Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand. For more information go to www.santouka-usa.com.

Charles Koh founded EatSeattle, and has continued to use his expertise as editor-in-chief to guide the website’s growth over the last five years. Koh’s experience focuses on digital marketing and social media, and has been a part of several companies, some of which he created, specializing in both areas over the course of his career. Koh was previously with Google and Zagat where he helped expand and grow communities worldwide.